KARACHI: What was feared happened. Captain Babar Azam will not be able to play in the first Test against New Zealand after the T20 International series. Thus, the team that lost the T20 series has suffered a major blow before the Test series. Jang had reported ten days ago that Babar Azam was unlikely to take part in the Mount Mangnui test. The PCB said that the decision on the participation of Babar and Imam-ul-Haq in the second Test match starting from January 3 in Christchurch will be taken in due course. On Monday, the Pakistan Cricket Board confirmed that Imam-ul-Haq is not in the first Test team except Babar Azam. Wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan will captain the team. He will be the 33rd captain to lead Pakistan in the most important format of cricket. Imran Butt, who scored the most runs in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy last year, has been included in the 17-member squad. Wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed is also part of the team. Iftikhar Ahmed of Test team
Participation has been avoided. Shadab Khan has been included in the list of possible players in the Test team along with Yasir Shah. Abid Ali is expected to start Pakistan’s innings with Shaun Masood. Azhar Ali, Haris Sohail, Fawad Alam and Mohammad Rizwan will carry the middle order batting. Yasir Shah, Fahim Ashraf, Muhammad Abbas, Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi will join the bowling attack. The first match of the Test series will start on December 26 at Mount Mangnui. The tour selection committee has included Imran Butt in the Pakistan Test team for the first time. Ten days ago, Babar Azam’s right thumb and Imam-ul-Haq’s left thumb were fractured when he was hit by a ball during training in Queenstown. Both the players have not started net practice yet. Led by Saleem, he is constantly examining the injuries of these two players. Balochistan cricket team opener Imran Butt had scored 191 runs in 3 matches of the ongoing Quaid-e-Azam Trophy first class tournament in the country before joining the team in New Zealand. The 24-year-old batsman scored the most 934 runs in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy last year. Imran Butt, who averaged more than 62 runs, scored 4 centuries and 3 half-centuries in the tournament. Abid Ali, Azhar Ali, Haris Sohail, Shaun Masood, Fawad Alam, Sohail Khan, Yasir Shah, Muhammad Abbas and Naseem Shah, who represented Pakistan Shaheens in the only four-day match against New Zealand A, will play for the national Test squad on December 23 in Trincomalee. Will join Fast bowlers Muhammad Abbas and Naseem Shah, including centuries by Fawad Alam and Rohail Nazir, played a key role in the victory. Azhar Ali scored 58 in the first innings and 29 in the second, Fawad Alam scored 3 in the first innings and 139 in the second innings. Muhammad Abbas and Naseem Shah took 4 and 1 wickets in the first innings and 1 and 3 wickets in the second innings respectively. The team for the Test series consists of these players. Mohammad Rizwan (captain for the first Test match), Sarfraz Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Abid Ali, Azhar Ali, Shaun Masood, Fawad Alam, Sohail Khan, Yasir Shah, Mohammad Abbas, Imran Butt, Haris Sohail, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi , Fahim Ashraf.